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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25761568">Unleashed</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/idkflightya/pseuds/idkflightya'>idkflightya</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyxela/pseuds/nyxela'>nyxela</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Soaring Skies [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Contrà- Gigantiverse, Original Work, Soaring Skies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Don't Like Don't Read, LGBTQ Themes, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:16:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,632</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25761568</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/idkflightya/pseuds/idkflightya, https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyxela/pseuds/nyxela</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's her!"</p><p>The world was nothing but an imagery of war, disasters and ruins.</p><p>With tears in her eyes, the dark-haired girl turned and ran-</p><p>=====</p><p>In which the bad omen foretelling destruction and the protagonist are one and the same. In which the young black-haired female must shield her Clan from conflicts between the gods as much as she can. In which she must learn to distinguish carefully worded lies from truths. In which she must learn to fight for herself instead of for others.</p><p>TW: blood, graphic description of violence</p><p>Word count per chapter: ~1500 to 2000<br/>Word count (so far):</p><p>Dates (DD/MM/YY):<br/>Unleashed-<br/>Started: 30/05/2020<br/>Completed: ~</p><p>Unreal-<br/>Started: ~<br/>Completed: ~</p><p>Undone-<br/>Started: ~<br/>Completed: ~</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Soaring Skies [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1868854</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Part 1: Unleashed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p>
<p></p><div>
  <p><b>unleash</b><br/>
/ʌnˈliːʃ/</p>
</div><p><em><b>verb</b></em><br/>
past tense: <b>unleashed</b>; past participle: <b>unleashed</b></p><p>cause (a strong or violent force) to be released or become unrestrained.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>=====</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>She stumbled into faith and thought, </em><br/>
<em>"God this is all there is."</em>
  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>
    <em>The pictures in her mind arose</em><br/>
<em>and began to breath.</em>
  </p>
</div><p><em>And all the </em> <em>g</em><em>ods in all the worlds</em><br/>
<em>began colliding </em><br/>
<em>on a backdrop of blue</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div>
  <p>The prophet, Ametrine, was horrified.</p>
</div><p><br/>"A black cloud. The bringer of war and disasters. She has arrived."</p><p>Oh, the unlucky Opal had given birth to a dark girl, on the coldest day possible of a year. The ultimate definition of dark- jet-black, and even if light shone on her hair, it appeared as a dull blackish silver.</p><p>Ametrine saw.</p><p>"She's the one,' she screeched. "She's the one!" Despite Opal's protests, Ametrine had took the infant away from her.</p><p>'This girl, will bring us death. She will wipe our existences from the map completely. Is anyone willing to let this happen?"</p><p>There was a momentary silence, followed by a loud "No!" from the young apprentice Velvet. "Kill her! Kill her!" The chant grew louder and louder.</p><p>Ametrine smiled to herself and picked up her knife that she used for making sacrifices to the Stars.</p><p>The baby did not enjoy all the noise. Her wail of protest was drowned out by the sheer volume of her Clanmates' excitement.</p><p>Ametrine raised her knife and-</p><p>"Ametrine." The leader of their tribe, Sapphire's cold voice cut through the high spirits of her people with such iciness their expressions turned from exhilaration to a calculating stare. Although Sapphire has long reached her elderly years, there was grace in every step she took, and ancient wisdom echoing the words she spoke.</p><p>Ametrine regarded her with respect in her eyes.</p><p>"Say, Ametrine, my dear prophet. What are you doing with the poor infant child of Opal's?"</p><p>"The Stars have spoken, Sapphire. A black cloud shall annihilate all that our ancestors have bestowed upon us on these lands."</p><p>"And what do you, my dear prophet, have on your part to say that this newborn child is the cloud of disaster?"</p><p>"My Stars! Oh, my dearest leader, can you not see? Her hair is darker than Nyx herself! She is and will be the bringer of Ragnorak, the summoner of Death!"</p><p>"In my opinion, the Stars seemed to be telling you there will be a severe storm soon." Sapphire said wryly. "Tell the guards to raise our defenses to the highest. All tribesman are to return to their according houses, and no further discussions of this prophecy is allowed." With a glance to Ametrine, she added, "This is the final words of a leader."</p><p>Ametrine hissed under her breath and stalked away.</p><p>Sapphire held the infant in her arms. "I vow to the Stars that Ametrine would not be able to harm a hair of yours as long as I'm watching over you."</p><p>After a slight pause she said, "I name you Evanescence in hopes of the Storm will fade into the shadows, where it belongs."</p><p>She returned the baby to Opal, who was awaiting with tears of joy in her eyes. Not many children were blessed to be named by their leader.</p><p>"From now on, Evansecence will not only know me as her leader, but her godmother."</p><p>Opal received her child and thanked the leader with true gratitude.</p><p>=====</p><p>Sapphire noticed a small shadow following her home.</p><p>"Coral, what are you doing here?"</p><p>The three-year-old jumped slightly. "I hope you'll forgive me for this."</p><p>"Of course, but what for?"</p><p>"Please. I don't want to be Ametrine's apprentice anymore. I just want to lead a normal life. I don't ask for anything else."</p><p>"I'm sorry, Coral. I can't. I need you in that post to watch on Ametrine. I can't leave her lurking in the darkness- who knows what she'll be up to next?"</p><p>"But- " Coral protested, then apparently thought better of it. Her blonde hair shone silver in the moonlight, framing her childish face and huge amber eyes.</p><p>"Besides, you have the gift, Coral. You have the Power of Reading."</p><p>Coral hung her head, and when she spoke again her voice was full of uncertainty.</p><p>"Do I make you proud as a granddaughter?"</p><p>"Of course, my dear."</p><p>There was a slight pause.</p><p>"Do I- do I look like my mother?"</p><p>This was the first time Sapphire heard her talk about her mother. Her father had died in a terrible accident before her birth, and her mother had died from weakness after delivering her into the world.</p><p>Her gaze softened. "You have her locks and her eyes. Your nose looks like your father's though."</p><p>A silent tear ran down the child's plump face.</p><p>=====<br/>Ten years, like a caged bird set free, flew past in a blink of an eye.</p><p>Even though Sapphire had commanded her people not to interpret the prophecy by themselves, the people were still wary. Glares of hatred followed Evanescence everywhere, forcing the young girl to think ahead of her time. She did not chase after butterflies or spend her days picking flowers from the fields as the girls her age would, but instead spent her days questioning her existence and sanity.</p><p>She asked Coral, now a graduated prophet, who was her only friend.</p><p>"Why am I trapped in a body, Coral? My mind could walk, run, speak just fine."</p><p>Coral smiled. "Our bodies are here for expressing our presence, Vanesse. Without bodies, we are just mere ghosts that no one could see, and we could only communicate via dreams and telepathy. With bodies, we can speak physically, fulfill our physical wishes."</p><p>"But the others ignore and avoid me, even if I have a body," the child protested.</p><p>"If they're avoiding you, they're well aware that you exist. They know that you're here, Vanesse. They just choose to turn their backs on you."</p><p>"But why? What have I done wrong?" the girl's eyes grew glassy. "If they don't accept me, I won't have a point of existing anymore."</p><p>"You've done nothing wrong, Vanesse. They're blaming you for a mistake that's never been made."</p><p>Evanescence absent-mindedly waved water around with her telekinesis, forming random patterns reflecting the crimson color of sunset. Her eyes were half-closed from relaxation. Coral curled up comfortably against her on the cliff they were sitting on and watched the sun disappear.</p><p>Coral had always admired her abilities. She, sadly did not have an active power, unlike her ancestors.</p><p>If only she had a power of her own, she might be able to do as e was using the power of her role, and her mind reading to climb up in this game called life. She made up prophecies so fake they made Coral gag. Lately, she even disrespected Sapphire in public, and even though Sapphire gave the tribe so much on her part, her people were starting to forget what she had done and started to believe in Ametrine's authority.</p><p>Why couldn't anyone see that Sapphire was only trying to give her people the best living she could in all of her authority?</p><p>A sudden scream distracted her from her thoughts.</p><p>Evanescence grasped her hand and pulled her away from the spot she was standing on seconds ago. The earth gave way all around her, and soon the both of them was thrown into the air.</p><p>The cliff had collapsed.</p><p>The air roared in her ears as the ground neared.</p><p>
  <em>Thirty meters.</em>
</p><p>Evanescence's silver eyes shone with determination as she tried to slow their fall in vain.</p><p><em>Twenty</em>.</p><p>"It's okay." Coral blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. "I promise we'll live a long life after this. After all, we're too young to die…right?"</p><p><em>Ten</em>.</p><p>"I don't care about what the others think about us, I just wish there was more time for me to spend with you…" she whispered.</p><p><em>Five</em>.</p><p>Vanesse grunted and summoned a huge updraft at the last second. Although she successfully prevented them a direct hit to death, the sheer force of the updraft still flung them sideways.</p><p>Coral coughed the dirt out of her mouth and stood up. </p><p>Evanescence staggered to her feet not too far away. Coral rushed over and managed to catch her before she fell.</p><p>"Are you okay?"</p><p>She did not reply. Her eyes were glassy, and Coral's voice sounded like it was under water.</p><p>The world swam before her eyes.</p><p>"Evanescence! Coral! Are you hurt?" Opal's clear voice rang out as she too, ran over. "Who knows what'll happen if-" A fresh shower of earth and rocks landed on her, who had been too occupied with concern for her daughter's safety to notice.</p><p>Coral gasped in horror. "No," Evanescence whispered. "<em>No</em>."</p><p>She struggled free from Coral's arms, raced to her mother's side and desperately tried to push the earth off her. After several minutes of failure, she broke down into a crying mess.</p><p>Voices could be heard and torches could be seen as people started to arrive in crowds. Ametrine and her guards formed a ring around the two of them, but Evanescence could not care less.</p><p>Ametrine raised her sword. "I have come to understand the fact that you had caused this landslide, and killed your own mother in the progress. You are now charged with murder, and shall be executed immediately."</p><p>"What the hell, Ametrine?" Coral spat in pure rage, "Can't you see we're trying to dig up Opal? You are blinded by your thirst to kill Evanescence so much that you cannot see the truth." Her golden hair lay peacefully on her shoulders in contrast to her blazing amber orbs. Evanescence paid no notice to Ametrine and continued digging, tears streaking down her face along with beads of sweat; her icy silver eyes unfocused but desperate.</p><p>"You should know better, Coral, as both a sensible person and prophet, than to question my Sight. Alas, you chose the role of a traitor's friend and ignored what your Sight told you."</p><p>"Ametrine, I'm not your apprentice anymore. You have no power over me to tell me what to do. May the Stars bring judgement upon those who dare to hurt their prophet."</p><p>"I can say that I have never had an apprentice. I have no pride in an apprentice that is as much a failure as you."</p><p>"And I have no respect for a mentor who taught her apprentice nothing but to wage war against the innocent."</p><p>There were audible gasps. Ametrine narrowed her eyes. "You have Sapphire's sharp tongue, I see."</p><p>"My mother is her child."</p><p>"Then you're just as much a fool as she is." she turned to her guards and added, "Do whatever the hell you want with her."</p><p>Two guards, Inferno and Hail, seized Coral and dragged her away.</p><p>"As for this one, " Ametrine narrowed her eyes as she bent down and forced Evanescence to face her, her sharp nails digging into Evanescence's chin. "Beg for my mercy."</p><p>//</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Fact:<br/>Evanescence is now 10.5 years old and Coral 13.5 nearly 14.</p><p>Delaney: Thanks so much for reading this chapter! Please leave behind a vote if you enjoyed this story- I had a really fun time (re)writing this as the plot and characters are loosely based off a fic I wrote back in 2015-2016 (I was 11 then, and had terrible writing skills oof)</p><p>Also, poor Evanescence's world is about to get turned upside down...</p><p> </p><p>Until next time, peace &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Never!" Evanescence spat. "You can wait until I reincarnate again, and still I won't bow down to you!"</p><p>"Very well," Ametrine hissed. "You can rot in a cell where you belong."</p><p>A harsh blow to the back of her head rendered her unconscious.</p><p>Her dreams were, as per usual, a mess.</p><p>Evanescence sat up, rubbing her throbbing temples, and looked around. Behind her were flaming trees that filled the dry air with smoke and made her choke on her breath. In front of her, was a figure whose long white hair ran down her to her waist.</p><p>"Mother?"</p><p>The girl chuckled. She was definitely not Opal. "You amuse me, <em>tesero</em>," She turned so her searing orange eyes burnt into Evanescence's own silver ones. "Your time is running out. We will meet again dead or alive, my little phoenix."</p><p>Her form began to glow white hot until she became a miniature sun. The black-haired suspected if she didn't close her eyes in time she might have been blinded permanently. Still, the sudden exposure to strong light left her seeing spots in her vision.</p><p>The scene shifted.</p><p>She felt as though she had plunged into iced water. She dared herself to open her eyes.</p><p>The first thing she saw was the empty throne. It had to be at least ten feet tall, woven from bones. A thick red liquid trickled down, forming a small pool at the base of the seat.</p><p>Instantly, Evanescence was on full alert. She could sense a presence- no, <em>multiple</em> presences. There was the faintest echo of childish laughter bouncing off the dark obsidian walls, and quite frankly that creeped her out.</p><p>"Who are you?"She asked, trying to keep her voice steady.</p><p>"We are the shadows, your heritage, your birthright" came the reply. "We, are the <em>diaboli</em>." The less than innocent laughter became wild jeers. "Are you ready to face your deepest darkness- your inner demons?" The wind picked up, threatening to drag her into a hole in the ground that opened out of nowhere, until she woke up with a scream.</p><p>Evanescence's eyes snapped open to see Coral's face hovering over hers. "I'm fine," she lied as she scrambled to her feet, studying the other female's expression.</p><p>Something was wrong. The girl looked like she had been crying.</p><p>"Coral, I- did they hurt you?"</p><p>Coral shook her head. "Only my pride."</p><p>The smaller girl pulled her into an embrace. Evanescence, though younger than Coral, was already half-a-head taller than her.</p><p>"You were incredible, what you did back there," Coral rested her head on her shoulder, "You broke the boundaries of telekinesis."</p><p>"So that means…"</p><p>She pulled back and stared into her eyes. "You're a Power Mimic."</p><p>"Listen, they want you to be ready for your Echoing, which is at midnight- it's been postponed way too long. Maybe a Malachite or a Ruby will recognize you as their familiar, and then they'll give you more credit."</p><p>"What if that doesn't happen?"</p><p>"Then run. Sapphire doesn't have that much power over her people anymore. Who knows what would happen if you're not recognized, or worse? You would have to fight with everything you've got to get out of the town, alive."</p><p>Evanescence forced herself to stay calm, even though her thoughts were spiralling out of her control. There was just no way she, a child untrained in the aspect of combat, could fight the entire population.</p><p>"What about you?" She managed to ask.</p><p>"I'll find you someday, somehow," Coral paused before adding, "There's something else that you need to know. You can't expect help from the leader. Sapphire needs to stand with her people."</p><p>"How… exciting. I sure do wish nothing would go wrong, but then again my luck is worse than a black cat's-"</p><p>"You'll be fine either way. I believe in you," Coral said sternly. She pressed something into her palm. "I have to go, Ametrine expects me."</p><p>"Coral I-"</p><p>"Good luck, Adieu!"</p><p>With that, she was gone.</p><p>"Coral, I don't think I can do this…"</p><p>A sigh of frustration escaped her mouth, and she slid down against the wall of her cell.</p><p>She uncurled the note.</p><p>"Tawny's on your side. He'll cover you if necessary. Burn after read."</p><p>Evanescence remembered the elderly man. She quite obviously didn't know him in his younger years, but he was immensely popular and respected in the tribe. She herself was fond of listening to his tales when she was younger.</p><p><em>Of course, he's a Mist Bender.  </em>She didn't like the chances of him getting caught helping her though.</p><p>She willed the note to catch fire, and to her delight, it burst into flames.</p><p>Knowing that she wouldn't be able to catch anymore sleep that night, she sat down, pulled her legs up against her chest, and tried to make herself as comfortable as she could against the cold stone which contained her. She relaxed enough to allow herself to get lost in her own thoughts.</p><p>After what seemed like an eternity, the chained iron doors leading to her cell opened, and two guards all but tried to drag her out.</p><p>"I can walk myself, thank you very much," she snapped, flinging their arms off. She had lost too much that day. She wasn't going to let herself loose her dignity too.</p><p>She quickly straightened her dress, tidied her hair the best she could, and followed the guards outside.</p><p>Evanescence saw Sapphire standing outside of her cottage, but her godmother avoided her gaze when Evanescence looked at her. Coral, on the other hand, looked like an excited puppy.</p><p>Evanescence nearly burst out laughing upon seeing her friend's expression despite the formality of the situation. Coral was bouncing on her heels, her pure amber eyes wide.</p><p>She saw Sapphire at the edge of her vision, shaking her head. <em>Children</em>.</p><p>She smiled and hurried forwards, willing the dust in the guards' wakes to settle behind her.</p><p>=====</p><p>Ametrine was already chanting by the time Evanescence stepped onto the altar in the dead centre of the Crystal Pools, not bothering to wait.</p><p>The young girl stared, mesmerized at the sight as the water began to glow a silvery white and the air hum with power. Ametrine's chant grew faster.</p><p>An eerie metallic clang rang out, sending a shiver up her spine. The lake water darkened, as if some invisible wound was bleeding out the crimson colors. Thunder roared above head where storm clouds had started to gather and flashes of lightning could be seen.</p><p>Evanescence was vaguely aware of the uneasy whispers of her Clanmates, but her attention was diverted.</p><p>She could feel the mana in the air condensing in front of her as something materialised. The sihouette of the stone was black as nightmare, and the shadows clung to it, draining out the warmth in the summer sky. Its chained dangled limply beneath.</p><p>Was it an Onyx? Obsidian? Evanescence did not know. What she knew was that the gem had a Pulse, and it was calling out to her.</p><p>She felt like a spectator to the scene- she was no longer in possession of her body. She watched as she slowly raised her hands and reached out to the gem which beckoned to her. A spear hit her midsection and would've impaled her but it bounced off harmlessly. The ritual was ongoing, and it couldn't be stopped.</p><p>Her fingertips brushed against the cold of the gem, and Evanescence felt as though she was four again, staring helplessly at the bystanders when a lightning bolt struck her. Her fingers closed around the pendant.</p><p>Winds raged around her in an explosive circle. The Pact was sealed. She collapsed, suddenly exhausted as her gem drained her energy.</p><p>"A black diamond," Ametrine announced curtly. "The Storm. The Prophecy. She is what I'd warned you about."</p><p>Evanescence struggled to push herself to her feet. She knew she had to run, but she only felt an unpleasant numbness where all the strength in her limbs had left her.</p><p>Sapphire's voice was drowned out by the ringing in her ears, but she could make out a few of her words. "Execution…not the only choice… Eternal banishment…  should be enough."</p><p>Ametrine's loud protest was evident and self-explanatory. There were angry shouts and calls that demanded for her death.</p><p>Evanescence staggered unsteadily to her feet. The world swam before her eyes as she wobbled forwards.</p><p>"There!" She recognized Pearl's shrill voice. "Don't let her escape!" The black-haired girl watched, startled as the crowd surged forwards past her. A clone of her was running  along the ledge, trying to make her way to the outskirts of their settlement.</p><p>She turned and spotted Tawny, half-hidden in the shadows. <em>Go</em>, he mouthed.</p><p><em>Thank you</em>, Evanescence dipped her head, then hurried to blend in with the mob.</p><p>In her head, she imagined a young girl with rich brown skin and, frizzy curls and golden irises. The girl looked down at her now dark-skinned hands and grinned. She didn't know how good the disguise she put up was, but as long as it made her unrecognisable, that was fine.</p><p>She slipped away from her hunters which were oblivious to her presence amongst them. She, "Topaz", had never existed to them, and will never exist to them as they had deemed her an outcast.</p><p>The brunette hurried down a quiet alley, still in awe of how powerful Mist powers were. She couldn't keep this up forever though- she was already weak from the Echoing, and this newfound power was draining the last of her energy. She had to escape before that happened.</p><p>She ran her hand along the walls of the houses, trying to remember where the secret tunnel was. The main entrance was too well guarded to attempt for, she figured. This tunnel her only shot.</p><p>She walked into a deadend. "<em>Patefio</em>," she said, and the bricks rearranged themselves to let her pass, revealing a path leading down, down, down-</p><p>She stepped forwards, picking up her pace and trying to convince herself that the dark didn't scare her after the nightmare. She could feel the diaboli lurking in the depths of the gloom, making snarky remarks about her, and she had to fight to tune their voices out.</p><p>She halted hastily when she sensed someone else at the other end. She knew that they must have heard the thundering of her hurried footsteps as well.</p><p><em>Act natural. </em>She scolded herself and tried to casually step out of the shade. "Hello," she said nervously.</p><p>"Who are you?" The girl's blue-gray hair shone silver in the half light, her blue eyes glistening. "I have never seen you before."</p><p>"I am Topaz," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "I reside in the Ice Camp and only came to observe the Echoing."</p><p>"That's funny," a redhead whom Evanes didn't notice till then piped up from behind the first girl. "<em>We</em> come from the Ice Camp, and to think that we have never met…" She was wearing a strange far-East styled costume with floral patterns, which Evanescence found oddly fitting.</p><p>Without warning, giant fists of water appeared out of thin air and closed in around her neck and her body. Her limbs flailed as she was lifted forcefully upwards.</p><p>She struggled and managed to break free, yet the damage had already been done- her disguise melted away where the water met her skin, and she fell down in a heap, the colorless liquid dripping from her soaked her and dress.</p><p>"Just what I thought," the blue-haired leaned back and smirked, giving her a little courtesy. "My name is Larimar, nice to meet you <em>Evanescence</em>."</p><p>The redhead shot a fireball into the sky. She was calling for reinforcements.</p><p>//</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Glossary:<br/>tesero: treasure in italian<br/>diaboli(plural): demonic humanoid creatures which serve the Grim Reaper<br/>patefio: open in latin</p><p>Delaney: Thanks so much for reading this chapter! Please leave behind a vote if you enjoy this story- it's gonna get spicy soon(no spoilers tho)</p><p>As always, please feel free to point out any typos or grammatical mistakes...English isn't my first language but i'll try my best haha.</p><p>Discussion:<br/>Thoughts and theories about her dreams?<br/>Who is you favourite character so far? Why?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Evanescence knew she couldn't take on ten of the Elites, not all at once. Her powers had managed to impress even herself, but that could not make up for the fact that she was untrained, and weak from all the crap she went through earlier.</p><p>And, to top it off, the last time she had eaten- which was nothing but a few slices of bread at breakfast because she had so conveniently skipped lunch- was more than twenty hours ago.</p><p>She was angry, scared and slightly crazed from hunger and adrenaline. If that wasn't the perfect combination to make a desperate survivalist, she did not know what was.</p><p>And survive she did.</p><p>She didn't bother to try for offense- she was in no place to try anyway. She danced and dodged and weaved between their attacks, occasionally deflecting their powers if it sailed too close.</p><p>Inferno, a man with shaggy black hair and pure fiery eyes, morphed into a ball of fire and charged her.</p><p><em>You can not fight fire with fire,</em> Opal had once warned her. <em>That would only make it</em><em> worse.</em></p><p><em>Oh yeah?</em> She challenged. She forced Inferno's flames to go out and hit him with her own purple fire, the toxic smoke curling around her Clanmate who had sunk to his knees.</p><p><em>Soul fire,</em> A voice in her head dictated. <em>Burnt on iodine</em>. Evanescence had no idea what that meant so she ignored the voice, swerving left madly as someone used their sword as a boomerang.</p><p>"Can <em>someone</em>," Hail snarled, glaring pointedly at the redhead after he froze the the terrain and the black-haired took it to her advantage, sliding across the ice and sweeping others off their feet with blasts of wind. "Actually be useful for once and set up a barrier?"</p><p>"Blaze Marcello is no caster," the redhead snapped. "That is my sister you dimwit. And to answer your question, no. She would just take it down."</p><p>Larimar crash-landed as her watery wings vaporized, and the black-haired dashed past dazed water elemental before she could regain her bearings.</p><p>She was not ready to see what she saw after ducking under an archway and collapsing it behind her.</p><p>There was sadness in Sapphire's eyes as the distant whispering of the ancient souls grew louder. The elderly female raised her hand over her head and brought it down to point at the young girl in one fluid motion, and the spirits charged towards Evanescence.</p><p>She did not even realise she was clutching her pendant and lifeline so hard her fingers turned white until it grew painfully hot in her hold.</p><p>Anger exploded inside of her. Sapphire deserved better than to be pressured into doing something she did not desire.</p><p>The army of spirits disappeared. The ice on the ground thawed instantly in a perfect circle around Evanescence, the magic in the air singling out her as their only master.</p><p>For the first time in her life, she had activated her forcefield- an ability unique to each individual gemfolks, people who had been recognised by gem familiars.</p><p>
  <em>Great, yet another display of power</em>
  <em> to scare them even more. Just what I needed.</em>
</p><p>As she continued pushing towards the outskirts of town, she considered trying to teleport, before deciding against it- she did not want to risk the chances of her missing her destination.</p><p>The battle became a blur before her eyes as she dodged and deflected instinctively, and soon she was alone, running in fields that she had never stepped foot on before, away from the home that she had grown up in.</p><p>She ran until she could no more, until her feet refused to carry her weight and she fell, succumbing to her fatigue. She tried to crawl, but the strength in her limbs had long left her and with the adrenaline wearing off, she would not be able to maintain her consciousness for long.</p><p><em>This would not do,</em> she mused. She had to do something- start a fire, set up barriers, <em>anything</em> to improve her situation, seeing as she was now stranded in the middle of a wasteland with no cover whatsoever.</p><p>She heard the low growl of a wolf before she raised her head weakly and saw the black animal slowly advancing, its electric blue eyes glinting with menace.</p><p>She could see the soft baby fluff clinging onto the wolf's pelt, and smell the thick scent of milk hanging onto its silky soot-black fur.</p><p>She whimpered, trying to curl into a fatal position as the pup started to gnaw on her but her tired body would not bulge. It was clear that the creature wasn't even hungry with its belly filled with its mother's milk. It had probably sneaked out to play while its mother was out hunting for food- what a find she was too, weak from the trek and unable to strike back.</p><p>She sobbed helplessly as the pup's sharp teeth sank into her shoulder, flipping her around carelessly. She had a glimpse of the wagging tail showcasing its excitement.</p><p>
  <em>Evanescence, aged 11, died from unwillingly playing a game of tag with an over enthusiastic wolf pup.</em>
</p><p>She couldn't even begin to fathom the ridiculousness of her situation as she watched her blood splatter onto the earth. It was true that she had always been treated worse than her average Clanmates back at camp, but at least she was safe and never hungry.</p><p>She had never feared death, not even then when she was most probably turning into dogfood. If anything, she was more annoyed at <em>how</em> she was going to die.</p><p>And maybe she should have been more concerned about the smoke emmiting from her spilled blood since it had never happened before, but her vision was fading to black and she was barely aware of a flash of light and the animal yelping in fright, before descending into the ever so <em>wonderful</em> land of dreams.</p><p>=====</p><p>She registered the noise of crackling fire as she slowly woke up from a coma.</p><p>She opened her eyes. She was nestled on top of a heap of woven wool, in some sort of cave adorned with crystal decorations and small potted plants. She turned, and saw a man sitting on top of a wooden chair, staring at her.</p><p>The man had black hair, and a familiar silver gaze, much like her own.</p><p>"Hello?" Evanescence tried. The male said nothing and simply regarded her warily.</p><p>She blinked, and her brain slowly began to process all the little details that screamed "danger". The man's eyes were blank and unseeing, and he didn't seem to be breathing, though he was very much solid and moving, and generated an aura of his own.</p><p>Her eyes once again darted to the thin layer of fabric draping over the entrance of the cave. Would he stop her if she tried to leave?</p><p>She forced her muscles to relax in an attempt to make herself look as non-threatening as possible, wondering how fast her tired limbs could carry her if she needed to bolt, when suddenly the curtains were unveiled, and the man crumbled into dust.</p><p>"I see that you are awake," a familiar yet unwelcoming face revealed itself.</p><p>"<em>You</em>," Evanescence hissed, her small frame freezing up once again.</p><p>"Learn some respect, brat," the white-haired female snapped. "Is this any way to address a Deity?"</p><p>She stared, mind still trying to connect the dots. "You are Shaded, the Deity of Summer and the Lord of <em>Anávo</em><em>,</em> the House of Honor."</p><p>"Am I dead?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, trying to pump more oxygen into her limbs, and here her own breath rattling against her irritated windpipe.</p><p>Shaded raised an eyebrow, "Do you regret living?"</p><p>"No," Evanescence said, a little too quickly. She would have been lying if she said she wasn't at least slightly afraid of what the evidently more powerful being could do to her if she pushed her <em>rotten</em> luck too far, so she tried to redirect the conversation. "Then... why am I here?"</p><p>Shaded's expression was unreadable. "Your consciousness is bound here for the time being, while your body heals."</p><p>"My body..." Simply recalling the memory caused her to wince in humiliation. "Is fine?"</p><p>"For now, yes."</p><p><em>Sounds so reassuring</em>, Evanescence bit back the snarky remark. She would take that over nothing though. She replayed the conversation inwardly, and couldn't help but feel that the Deity had an ulterior move.</p><p>She opened her mouth to question the Deity, but what came out instead was "What happened... to him?"</p><p>"Ebony? He is simply an illusion, one that I disposed of." Evanescence didn't like the bitter edge in Shaded's tone, so she didn't press on.</p><p>"Surely you already know why I am here," Shaded continued. "Between you and me, we could make great things happen." She picked up a porcelain pot, and lit the small shrub on fire with a click of her tongue. When Shaded turned around so she could face the raven-haired, Evanescence could see the fire wildly in her amber orbs, making the hair on her arms stand up in alarm. She very quickly decided she did not like this part of the Deity either.</p><p>"I can offer you a place to stay and proper training, in exchange for your loyalty to me."</p><p>The silver-eyed girl briefly considered her limited options, and decided to take her best bet, agreeing to the Deity's proposal- not like she had a choice in the first place.</p><p>One year. Four seasons. Twelve moon cycles. Three hundred and sixty five days.</p><p>Time slipped past her fingers like the crystalline liquid pouring forth from a freshwater stream with its coolness breezing past against her hand- too fast and its form too fickle for Evanescence to grasp within her hold.</p><p>With it, she learnt several things.</p><p>True to her title, the Deity of summer was volatile. She was the raging winds that came with tropical cyclones, the furious downpour of rainwater that flooded the terrain. She was the unforgiving hailstorms that peppered the earth with untimely ice, the searing heat which hovered over the Southern Isles.</p><p>She was not gentle, not in anyway Evanescence could think of, yet she could tell that the Deity cared about her inferiors more than she let on. If anything, her spirits seemed content enough with their afterlife, but she had noticed the guarded demeanors some of Shaded's followers sported.</p><p>Akari and Zucchini were their names. Both were minor Deities, and had been followers of Phoenix, the last Deity of Autumn before her daughter Aurore inherited the throne. Evanescence speculated that they were treated differently because Shaded had doubts about where their loyalties lay.</p><p>"No," Akari had said, when Evanescence asked if there was anything she could do to improve the situation. "Someone has got to be the scrape goat and take the blame, right?"</p><p>Even an infant would be able to tell that Akari's smile had not been genuine. Evanescence had frowned, but she had kept her silence, not knowing what to say when she stared back into those soft baby blue orbs.</p><p>Sometimes she really wished she had better people skills.</p><p>//</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Glossary:<br/>Anávo: A fiery forest where the honored dead spend their afterlife. Also known as the House of Honor.</p><p>Delaney: Thanks so much for reading this chapter! Please leave behind a vote if you enjoy this story! Most of the cast is introduced by the end of this chapter, and I can't wait to actually work on the main plot :)</p><p>As always, please feel free to point out any typos or grammatical mistakes...English isn't my first language but i'll try my best haha.</p><p>Discussion:<br/>What do you think Shaded's true motives are?</p>
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